Life-saving device



Jam 23, 1923, N. "T. FOGG.

LIFE SAYING DEVICE. FILED FEB.27.1922.

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LIFE-SAVING DEVICE.

Application filed February 27, 1922. Serial No. 539,768.

board from a boat, much valuable time is.

lost in searchingfor a rope. The object of my invention is the provision of means easily carried by anyone and from which can at a moments notice be thrown a hundred feet or more of tough cord fully strong enough to tow to land one or two nearly drowned people. The means which I prefer to employ for this purpose is in the form of a walking stick or cane having the cord wound thereon, the cane being preferably in two easily separated sections, one of which a is designed to carry an end of the line far out over the water, and the other of which is retained in the grasp of the thrower.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Fig. 1 is a side view of a cane embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the separable portion of the cane,

the ferrule by which the two parts are united being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a side view of parts of the cane showing the cord being unwound therefrom. Fig. 4: is a perspective view illustrating the cane being made to shoot its lower end to a distant point, unwinding the cord as it flies.

The upper section 1 of the cane is preferably formed with a crook 2 at its upper end,

. and a ferrule 3 on its lower end. Into this ferrule is pressed the upper end of the section 4; of the cane, the fit being snug but not so tight as to prevent the parts from being pulled apart.

A strong cord 5 having one end fastened to the upper section 1 near the ferrule 3, as at 6, is then tightly wound upon this section nearly to the crook 2, and thence back winding it over the first layer to and over the section 4 until it reaches the cane tip 7 where its end is securely fastened, either by threading it through a hole there, or other- Wlse.

If'a person is walking by the side of the water, using this cane as his usual walking stick, and sees someone struggling not far from the shore, he slightly loosens the lower cane section in the ferrule 3, and then with a powerful swing of his arm and cane, causes the lower section to fly off from the handle-section and go sailing far out over the water unwinding the cord from the sections and trailing it behind like the tail of a comet. If the aim has been good and the force exerted Sll'l'llClBIllJ, the cane section will unwind the entire length of cord, ordinarily fully two hundred and fifty feet, and drop beyond or close to the struggling person.

As soon as the latter has caught the cord and made his grip on the cane-section sure, the man on shore winds in the cord, or walks steadily away from the water until the person in tow has been brought to land. Another advantage to be found in this cane is that of a possible means of escape from a burning hotel. If its owner happens to be in a room too far up to be reached by ladders, he can detach the lower cane section and drop it from the window to the street, uncoiling the cord after it. The firemen can then attach a rope to the cord, which being drawn up and fastened to the window,

provides a means by which the descent can be made to the street in safety.

Although I have illustrated the cane as being'grasped by its head and having its ferrule-end swung away into space, I do not restrict myself thereto, inasmuch as in many cases it may be preferable to whirl the handle-end out over the water because of its being more safely grasped by the drowning person.

Neither do I restrict myself to the exact construction illustrated, since it can be made in various forms without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A longitudinally extended member in two easily separable sections, and a long cord attached at its ends to the respective sections and tightly wound upon the same.

2. A longitudinally extended member in two easily separable sections, and a long cord attached at its ends to the respective sections and tightly wound upon the same, the cord on one section being attached near the juncture with the other section, and

wound therefrom toward the other end of the section and therefrom back toward and along the length of the other section.

3. A cane made in two easily separable sections one of which has a head, and a long cord attached at its ends to the respective sections and tightly Wound thereon, whereby the cane being forcibly swung about its head as a center, the other section will be im- 5 pelled to a distance, unwinding the cord from both sections as it flies.

41. A cane in two sections, a ferrule sep- 

